The Tall Target is directed by Anthony Mann, has a screenplay by George Worthing Yates and Art Cohen. The film stars Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Ruby Dee, Marshall Thompson, Paula Raymond, Leif Erickson and Florence Bates.This film was inspired by a real incident that occurred as Lincoln travelled to his inauguration.Police Detective John Kennedy(Dick Powell)discover a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln as he travels to his Presidential inauguration. Kennedy tells a colleague to meet him on a train and when he boards the train he discovers his colleague has been murdered. A thuggish man (Leif Erickson)steals Kennedy's identity papers, seat and train ticket and claims to be him. Luckily for Kennedy his identity can be verified by a man he knows, Colonel Caleb Jeffers(Adolphe Menjou)who is aboard the train travelling with his soldiers on the way to the inauguration. Kennedy and the mysterious stranger get into a fight in which Kennedy is almost killed, the stranger is shot by Colonel Jeffers.As the hours go on Kennedy becomes convinced the would be presidential assassin is aboard the train. His suspicion falls on Southern brother and sister Lance and Ginny Beaufort(Marshall Thompson and Paula Raymond). Ginny's black maid Rachel(Ruby Dee)may be of help to Kennedy. There's also a talkative author (Florence Bates)and a mysterious woman with a private compartment who has asked not to be disturbed.The film also manages to tackle and discuss the issue of slavery in several scenes too.Suspicion falls on pretty much everyone on the train and that's what makes this such a cracking thriller. We like Kennedy don't know which characters to trust. Powell once again proves what a talented dramatic actor he was and is excellent as Kennedy, not willing to stop until he has the culprit caught. Ruby Dee makes quite an impression as the dignified slave maid, who knows many things and who may be of help to Kennedy.This is a suspenseful and exciting thriller.

In 1861, New York detective John Kennedy (Dick Powell) is convinced there's a plot to assassinate President-elect Abraham Lincoln but no one seems to believe him. So he resigns from the force and takes the train to Baltimore, determined to prevent the assassination. In my opinion, this is Dick Powell's last great screen role. He made a few more movies before finishing his career out as a director and doing some minor TV work. He's very good here, as usual. Strong support from Adolphe Menjou, Will Geer, Leif Erickson, and Ruby Dee. It's a gripping period thriller from Anthony Mann that looks like a film noir, thanks to Paul Vogel's fine cinematography. Plus, it's a train movie and those are always fun.There's a lot in this movie for history buffs to chew on. A guy named John Kennedy trying to prevent a presidential assassination in a film made over a decade before President Kennedy was killed is certainly interesting. The plot is loosely based on the 1861 Baltimore Plot, which resulted in one of Lincoln's earliest public relations nightmares because he was accused of cowardly sneaking into the city for fear of assassins. Times have certainly changed. Anyway you should definitely read up on that as it's pretty fascinating, especially considering what happened to him four years later.

Having collected an off-air recording of this film I now make sure to watch it at least once per year. Why? It's almost perfect.A New York police detective stumbles upon a plot to kill President elect Abraham Lincoln en route to Washington for his inauguration. The plotters plan for multiple gunmen to assassinate Abe whilst he is speechifying in Baltimore.Having failed to convince his superiors that the plot is real, the cop hands in his badge and takes "The Flyer" - an overnight train from New York to Baltimore. The bulk of the film concerns his efforts to find out more details of the plot, and figure out which of his fellow passengers are part of it. Having done so, he must stop them from bumping him off or getting him locked up until it's all over. It's a great plot, extrapolated to some unknown degree, from real events.For me, the film has a quality that should put it right up there with other film noir classics such as "The Big Sleep". You actually feel the cop's physical desperation that he must stop the conspirators, and you feel their fanaticism to succeed. Dick Powell as the cop (Ironically called John Kennedy) carries the film superbly. Will Geer (he eventually played the Grandfather in "The Waltons") is completely believable as the harassed train conductor. The more minor characters (such as the driver/engineer and some of the non-principal passengers) are given depth and motivation to a degree that is quite unusual.The settings feel like a train, rather than a set being rocked gently by a set of burly teamsters. The external train shots are mostly real, not the usual laughable model shots you get in many train films of this vintage. In fact, overall, the technical competence of the whole production is top notch. The photography, lighting, sound, visual effects and sets are of a very high calibre indeed.Even if you are not usually given to watching movies as old as this one, I urge you to track this one down - it's well worthwhile.Alan T.

Okay this film the Tall Target may not be historically accurate but it is based on a situation that occurred on the Abraham Lincoln Inaugural Train.. It is an excellent movie brilliantly directed by Anthony Mann It is a film that was way ahead of its time.. Dick Powell stars and gives an outstanding performance Differrent than most of his film noir films of that era.. I was watching TCM @1am this morning (insomnia was setting in) when their brilliant host Robert Osborne announced and described this unusual film that most people had never seen or heard of! But he recommended & once again Osborne was correct. Wonderful powerful film made years before Suddenly and a decade or so before The Manchurian Candidate (other films dealing with presidential assassinations)The writers & director took an incident from history and created a fictionalized yet believable and riveting film .Is great definitely worth seeing & seeing a very young Ruby Dee in a small but important role as a loyal but concerned 'slave" also Leif Ericson and Barbara Billingsly (Beavers mom) have minor but important roles..& Adolphe Menjou is outstanding and quite believable a corrupt military official Powell is really good in this film A great surprise Don't Miss, another hidden gem revealed from the TCM film library.Thank you Ted Turner and Robert Osborne